“The great contribution of Žiga Vodovnik is that his writing rescues anarchism from its dogma, its rigidity, its isolation from the majority of the human race. He reveals the natural anarchism of our everyday lives, and in doing so, enlarges the possibilities for a truly human society, in which our imaginations, our compassion, can have full play.” —Howard Zinn, author of A People’s History of the United States, from the Introduction

At the end of the nineteenth century, the network of anarchist collectives represented the first-ever global antisystemic movement and the very center of revolutionary tumult. In this groundbreaking and magisterial work, Žiga Vodovnik establishes that anarchism today is not only the most revolutionary current but, for the first time in history, the only one left. According to the author, many contemporary theoretical reflections on anarchism marginalize or neglect to mention the relevance of the anarchy of everyday life. Given this myopic (mis)conception of its essence, we are still searching for anarchism in places where the chances of actually finding it are the smallest.

Praise:

“Žiga Vodovnik’s A Living Sprit of Revolt is an original and brilliant exploration of the great tapestry of theory and praxis that belongs in the anarchist tradition and its contemporary forms. For the first time he makes a striking case that the Transcendentalists and their intellectual cousins belong firmly in this tradition. No library of contemporary or historical radicalism can be without it.” —James C. Scott, author of Seeing like a State and Two Cheers for Anarchism

“Like Marx’s old mole, the instinct for freedom keeps burrowing, and periodically breaks through to the light of day in novel and exciting forms. That is happening again right now in many parts of the world, often inspired by, and revitalizing, the anarchist tradition that is examined in Žiga Vodovnik’s book. A Living Spirit of Revolt is a deeply informed and thoughtful work, which offers us very timely and instructive lessons.” —Noam Chomsky, MIT

“Žiga Vodovnik has made a fresh and original contribution to our understanding of anarchism, by unearthing its importance for the New England Transcendentalists and their impact on radical politics in America. A Living Spirit of Revolt is interesting, relevant and is sure to be widely read and enjoyed.” —Uri Gordon, author of Anarchy Alive: Anti-Authoritarian Politics from Practice to Theory

"This book with its felicitous title is an important and essential work, honest, painstaking, and intelligent. Unlike so many political scientists, Žiga Vodovnik understands anarchism. It is unlikely that anyone can read A Living Spirit of Revolt without gaining a wholly new perspective on the history and future of the anarchist movement. In a period that promises to spawn exciting transformations and occupations of politics, this brilliant work offers a degree of real understanding, and therefore cannot be too much commended." —Andrej Grubačić, author of Don't Mourn Balkanize!: Essays After Yugoslavia and co-author of Wobblies and Zapatistas: Conversations on Anarchism, Marxism and Radical History

About Žiga Vodovnik:

Žiga Vodovnik, PhD, is an associate professor of political science at the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia. His teaching and research focus on contemporary political theories and praxes, social movements in the Americas, and the history of political ideas.

About Howard Zinn(Introduction):

Howard Zinn (1922–2010) was the author of A People’s History of the United States and a life-long activist for peace and justice.